I haven't been too excited about Brainstorm over the last couple of discs - and with Manimal dominating my "metal" world - I didn't think I'd get too excited about the new BS..... but from what I'm hearing in these new songs, I think there is reason to be excited again ...... Andy sounds great .........

I feel the same way on this one. Got it based on what I felt was the strengths of the songs I heard before it was released. After several listens I feel like it is a step up from the last couple of albums even though it ultimately is not breaking new ground.

dwhitt wrote:I feel the same way on this one. Got it based on what I felt was the strengths of the songs I heard before it was released. After several listens I feel like it is a step up from the last couple of albums even though it ultimately is not breaking new ground.

***Same here - but now after 2 passes, I don't feel as excited as I thought I was. It's good, and Andy sounds great, but it does nothing better than any previous BS discs before it. It's very speedy (a given) and the production is very raw. I"m sure I've gotten away from this style over the years, but Manimal / Purgatorio is much better than this new BS disc. In fact, if BS wrote and released Purgatorio, I"d be saying "Brainstorm returns with a vengenance" !!!!!!

I don't think many here are too into Brainstorm anymore...... I'm sure that formula has run it's course, and I don't think they were ever able to capture the power and the glory that was Soul Temptation.....nor the awesome first show at Prog Power that blew so many of us away ......... ah, the good old days.

I thought Downburst was pretty good, but after that I lost interest and didn't find much to latch onto in the following discs...... I was hoping that Midnight Ghost would change all of that for me, but after some initial streaming, I thought otherwise. I did buy the disc, however, because it also contains a bonus DVD at no cost. I love when bands do this - I wish more would. At no extra cost, I thought maybe it was a shit show that wasn't good quality, etc etc .... boy was I wrong.

While the actual CD of Midnight Ghost didn't wow me except for a certain few songs, (Jeanne Bollet I'm talking to you) - the DVD show is another thing. It's simply - awesome. For a dvd, the quality is outstanding. Audio / video is excellent. Pro shot, with outstanding sound. And, it's a Brainstorm live show, so you know the energy you're getting. Andy sounds awesome - as always. It's the Scary Creatures tour from 2016, but you get 13 songs from various discs, including Shivas Tears from Soul Temptation (Yes !!!!). Of the 13 songs, I'd say only 2 are speed burners, the rest are superb mid-paced chug like Shivas Tears. Brainstorm, to me, are at their best in the mid-paced chugga chugga category, and they rip it up here....... The venue I believe is in Germany, and Andy's in between banter ( which is minimal ) is in German.....the crowd seems a little laid back for a German crowd with the German Brainstorm, but that could be the mix. The venue is a Prog Power sized venue, maybe larger.

While Midnight Ghost isn't wowing me -- this show really is, and if you're into dvd conerts like I am, this is a no brainer - and the best part ? It's NTSC !!!!!! No PAL here folks like I was anticipating........

Midnight Ghost is indeed a step up from their recent output IMO. I was never a crazy Brainstorm fan, always liked them, some albums more , some less, but never really loved them. The new album won't change this. But it's a pleasant listen.